Door or gate latch



June 5, 1923.

A. B. CHAMBERS DOOR OR GATE LATCH Filed 0016. 8, 1921 M W M E' atented June 5,

-NET ST noon on earn LATCH;-

" Application filed October s, 1921, Serial No. 506,347.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ARTHUR B. Cunarsnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain.

' mally closing and opening in the railing 11,

new and useful Improvements in Door or Gate Latches, of which the following is a specification,

3 This invention appertainsto door and gate latches generally, and more particularly to a type of the same adapted for use in conjunction with the door' or gate normally closing the entrance to the merchandise sales room or space as disclosed in my cope'nding application entitled Self servlce stores, as filed under date of October 8, 1921, and serially numbered 506,345.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide for a device of the class mentioned, and one of a nature capable of operation for the securing or retaining of a door or gate in its normally closed position and of being actuated to admit of the opening of the door or gate from one direction only. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide for a door or gate latch mechanism as characterized, and one capable of being actuated by the foot or feet of a person to released position, whereby a door or gate may be moved from normally closed position to open position in a manner leaving the hands of the person free for other uses, such as the carrying of baskets, packages or the llke, the door or gate and latch mechanism returning to closed and operative position after the weight of the person has been removed from the latter.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention resides in the certain novel and useful construction, arrangement, and operation of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which v Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of a floor surface, and showing the latch mechanism as installed therein and cooperative with a door or gate, and,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates the floor of aroomof a building, such as is'used for business purposes or the like, and which is to be divided by means of a railing 11 havinga door or gate 12 nor the said door or gate 12 being'spring hinged as at 13 to one of the uprights of the latter for swinging movements to closed position, in which position the free vertical edge thereof abuts a j amb 11, carried by the railrsra' at. v r

ing at the side of the opening'opposite to that at which the door or gate 12 is hinged,- whereby it is prevented from being opened from but one direction only,

F or normally securing the door o r'gate 12 in closed position, and for allowing "the,

samefto be opened from one direction'only, a latch mechanism is provided, and thesame is carried by and operable with a lock jboard or platform 14, which isof an area to fit into a recess or opening 15 formed in the floor surface 10, the latter being disposed to one side of the door or gate 12 and having one of its longer side edges disposed in the plane of theadjacent and parallel sides thereof.

The lock board or platform 14 is hinged as at 16 to the outer of the longer side edges ofthe recess or opening 15, and is normally supported ininclined position by means of a pair of leaf spring members 17 disposed within said recess or opening 15, so that the rear or upper side edge thereof lies in a plane to be abutted by the lower 'bar or frame member of the door or gate 12. To limit the upward movement of the lock board or platform 14, under the action of the underlying springs 17, a pair of stop mem bers 18 are secured vertically of the opposite end edges of the recess or opening 15, and have their upper free ends angularly bent to provide portions 19 arranged in overlap- 12 is moved or otherwise returned to its I normally closed position, the latch member v 21 being pivoted as at 22 within a recess 23 formed in the upper face of the lock board or platf0rrn.1fl,and in proper position for the pi'urpose. The latch member -21'is maintained in its operative position for snapping into position with the keeperibracket by means of a spring 24:, and is limited in its upward movement under the tension'ing action of the spring 24,;by means gt a stop 1 member 25, which is securedacross the re- .cess 23 substantially as is shown in the F "C" Pi: 1?..P {F535 I: I, dra w nge Ih'fl f' optiefat e f a d hen a P Q i de if ass; in theiproper direction are e -ae dob 'bi' e 12, for s e w l of; necessity; step u o the lock board or r? air pl se m eleprie s s h me wnwar y aga'ili' ti ei eni i i 9f h j'sr'ir n when. the 1 a fe ihe f' 2. wi l di e a e 1 the: lz'efepe t bracket 2Q,fan'd;. release thedoor orj'ga te 12; so that the same'can be readily or otherwiis'je moved to open position,

s by reason of the'spring action of the Hinge-e 131a) nosed and latched position,

av p 's the board or platfbrm 14:, and the latch inenlberfll darri'edfthereby, having in the meantime been restored to normally operaitijOnf by their respective springs '17 Fron'ithe foregoing it'will be readil apparerit 'that thejl intention" provides or a neteirenjeliueeai mean tr e latching nd eleiijsihgiidodr's" of all classes and descript ons, and particularly those doors til sed toclose division railings of h "steregwhere it is desirous to ha e "1 sens e iterl a tb k al s r bm e i 'e ti, h yl 's 'para "ex t in Pr Vided tor their passagefrom the latter to the @Itwillbe understood that, while a pre- 'ferred embodiment of thelatch device has been- I'descfibedand illil'strated herein in" specific terms'land details. of construction, arrangement and operation, various changes mea i isii ttio l hefs ieem be w 'see ef'w ij 'eeieleea g m h pirit offlthe invention, or the scope of the claims appended fhereto. v i

means normally ftensioning saidlo'ck board e in normally and forwardly inclinedppsition, ajlatching lement pivotally mounted on Having thl S fully described "the invent on;'wha f s sl i ede fl, Infalatch device as characterized, a k a 'f h i s dly m unte W th n a recessiforriied in'thle 'fi oor of a; building, spring lv 1 .M .l e 9 eard fer ellin a 1 9 ate ln 'a normally "closed pos1t on, and spr ng eansjnori iall nsile mes e em n in which p osition' it automatically rel leeeae t e'be em nfiiemg' he ing operable by the weight of a person stepping thereon for effecting the release of said element whereby the door or gate may be moved from its normally closed position in the predetermined direction;

2. In a device" for the purpo'se set forth,

alocking board adapted to be 'mounted in recess formed in the floor of a. building and hinged at one endto the walls of the re-. cess', means positioned below the lock board for normally positioning it in a. raised inclined"pos'ition"with' respect to the hinged end'of said board, said board having its upper face proyidediwith' a" recess atthe' raised end thereof, and spring controlled l t ing emen p' lvq ly prdr ed i s d r'e ss forlatching adder or g'atein"nor said" latching engagement when the raised end of'the lock board is loweredby' jipres' s i 'e a p i d? here o- "3: In advioefor the pnrpose set forth,

a locking board ada ted 11" be moun ed m e d ST Qr iw f' f h od bu l in andhingedat one end to the walls of'the -re 'e'se m e nosit en 'd l w h bc eafd ,I'na'lly 'clo'sedposition and releasable from for normally positioningit in ia raised nwe clined position with respect to the lock board for -limitingthe npward moye meht'jofthe free end therepf. p

4:; The combinationfwith' a" support or flopI ;provided with p i i iidthers mfi h eq isab al'dc bard s ca i d at he i es of s'aidboa'rdat one ndthereofjandengaig I egth i b a e he: .ee' ppea m an a it n s i e ess n be rlnei ainstfthe e rmel y fd werdli ne n edle} iti i p Y0ta y e t latch g l ne t carried by said board for l i thing'the I HAT-s. or s e e a. ose-al y ea ed resmen, and resilient means normally maintain ng said latching element 1n 7 1ts operat ve position esps t hadow Q ate, said ek b ar eing perable e pres ure i age;- plied thereto to release said elemeat tram thedooror gate. H i

5, The combination 'with'ev support; or

floor proy'ided a recess, of alock b oard positioned therein, means carried "at the sides e M nnow m n-i :1 f W b a d at ne en thereof an en age i l. mg in the side walls of the-recession hing; I

has the b rd, PPQ I' means ranged "within said recess and bearing against the lower face of the board for main ees/ ees taining the latter normall in a forwardly inclined position, a pivotal y mounted latching element carried by said board for latching the door or gate in a normally closed 5 position, resilient means normally main taining said latching element in its operative position With respect to the door or gate, said lock board being operable when pressure is applied thereto to release said element from the door or gate, and means secured to the side walls of the recess for limiting the upper movement of said board.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto. 

